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Tiny Dancer

The new Nano is very sleek and much lighter than the previous gen widescreen Nano. Of course there is a newer version than the one we tested that also features a video camera but we’ll be testing that next month in the magazine, since it reached us late for this test. But on to this Nano – it’s cute with a nice curved profile. It’s long but very slim – perfect for those who want something feature-rich and with a screen while working out or jogging, since it won’t weight down your pocket. Its screen is good, although the text font doesn’t look as crisp as the iPod Classic or the iPod Touch. The clickwheel is still going strong and although it’s not the best for menu navigation it works quite well and is pretty accurate.

The Nano’s 2-inch display is not the best suited for videos although it does a fairly decent job, but really speaking we’d like more contrast and of course, something larger. The clickwheel is still going strong but I found it not as responsive as the clickwheel on the Classic. For music it hits the spot – clean sound, with nary a hint of distortion and quite neutral – a welcome relief from all the bass-heavy PMPs we’ve seen in the past. The treble does get a little out of hand and some of the instrument scores can get to the point where they’re grating on the ears but this niggle aside, I was pretty satisfied.

Priced at Rs. 9,700 for the 8 GB version and Rs. 12,500 for the 16 GB version, the Nano is a little on the expensive side, but Apple remedies this with the new range of Nanos with cheaper prices. However, if you’re in search of something really light, well-built (read metal) and compact offering great audio performance and the added functionality of video when you need it, the Nano is hard to beat.

8 GB version ***

Pros:

• Amazingly compact and light
• Rugged metal body
• Great sound quality

Cons:

• Screen could have been better, not up to the Classic or the Touch
• Clickwheel isn’t as responsive as the Touch

16 GB version  ****

Pros:

• Amazingly compact and light
• Rugged metal body
• Great sound quality
• Better VFM than the 8 GB variant

Cons:

• Screen could have been better, not up to the Classic or the Touch
• Clickwheel isn’t as responsive as the Touch
  
  

Click here for a list of all PMPs reviewed

	Apacer AU824
	Compact and affordable
	Apple iPod Classic
	Size matters
	Apple iPod Nano
	Diminutive powerhouse
	Cowon D2 Plus
	The chunky wonder
	Cowon iAudio 7
	Pocketful of sound
	Cowon S9
	Jack of all trades
	iPod Touch
	The apple of our eye
	Philips GoGear Aria
	No use hanging around this aria